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All Rights Reserved. * * Licensed under the W3C SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENT NOTICE AND LICENSE. * * https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/2015/copyright-software-and-document * */ (function() { 'use strict'; // Exit early if we're not running in a browser. if (typeof window !== 'object') { return; } // Exit early if all IntersectionObserver and IntersectionObserverEntry // features are natively supported. if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && 'IntersectionObserverEntry' in window && 'intersectionRatio' in window.IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype) { // Minimal polyfill for Edge 15's lack of `isIntersecting` // See: https://github.com/w3c/IntersectionObserver/issues/211 if (!('isIntersecting' in window.IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype)) { Object.defineProperty(window.IntersectionObserverEntry.prototype, 'isIntersecting', { get: function () { return this.intersectionRatio > 0; } }); } return; } /** * Returns the embedding frame element, if any. * @param {!Document} doc * @return {!Element} */ function getFrameElement(doc) { try { return doc.defaultView && doc.defaultView.frameElement || null; } catch (e) { // Ignore the error. return null; } } /** * A local reference to the root document. */ var document = (function(startDoc) { var doc = startDoc; var frame = getFrameElement(doc); while (frame) { doc = frame.ownerDocument; frame = getFrameElement(doc); } return doc; })(window.document); /** * An IntersectionObserver registry. This registry exists to hold a strong * reference to IntersectionObserver instances currently observing a target * element. Without this registry, instances without another reference may be * garbage collected. */ var registry = []; /** * The signal updater for cross-origin intersection. When not null, it means * that the polyfill is configured to work in a cross-origin mode. * @type {function(DOMRect|ClientRect, DOMRect|ClientRect)} */ var crossOriginUpdater = null; /** * The current cross-origin intersection. Only used in the cross-origin mode. * @type {DOMRect|ClientRect} */ var crossOriginRect = null; /** * Creates the global IntersectionObserverEntry constructor. * https://w3c.github.io/IntersectionObserver/#intersection-observer-entry * @param {Object} entry A dictionary of instance properties. * @constructor */ function IntersectionObserverEntry(entry) { this.time = entry.time; this.target = entry.target; this.rootBounds = ensureDOMRect(entry.rootBounds); this.boundingClientRect = ensureDOMRect(entry.boundingClientRect); this.intersectionRect = ensureDOMRect(entry.intersectionRect || getEmptyRect()); this.isIntersecting = !!entry.intersectionRect; // Calculates the intersection ratio. var targetRect = this.boundingClientRect; var targetArea = targetRect.width * targetRect.height; var intersectionRect = this.intersectionRect; var intersectionArea = intersectionRect.width * intersectionRect.height; // Sets intersection ratio. if (targetArea) { // Round the intersection ratio to avoid floating point math issues: // https://github.com/w3c/IntersectionObserver/issues/324 this.intersectionRatio = Number((intersectionArea / targetArea).toFixed(4)); } else { // If area is zero and is intersecting, sets to 1, otherwise to 0 this.intersectionRatio = this.isIntersecting ? 1 : 0; } } /** * Creates the global IntersectionObserver constructor. * https://w3c.github.io/IntersectionObserver/#intersection-observer-interface * @param {Function} callback The function to be invoked after intersection * changes have queued. The function is not invoked if the queue has * been emptied by calling the `takeRecords` method. * @param {Object=} opt_options Optional configuration options. * @constructor */ function IntersectionObserver(callback, opt_options) { var options = opt_options || {}; if (typeof callback != 'function') { throw new Error('callback must be a function'); } if ( options.root && options.root.nodeType != 1 && options.root.nodeType != 9 ) { throw new Error('root must be a Document or Element'); } // Binds and throttles `this._checkForIntersections`. this._checkForIntersections = throttle( this._checkForIntersections.bind(this), this.THROTTLE_TIMEOUT); // Private properties. this._callback = callback; this._observationTargets = []; this._queuedEntries = []; this._rootMarginValues = this._parseRootMargin(options.rootMargin); // Public properties. this.thresholds = this._initThresholds(options.threshold); this.root = options.root || null; this.rootMargin = this._rootMarginValues.map(function(margin) { return margin.value + margin.unit; }).join(' '); /** @private @const {!Array<!Document>} */ this._monitoringDocuments = []; /** @private @const {!Array<function()>} */ this._monitoringUnsubscribes = []; } /** * The minimum interval within which the document will be checked for * intersection changes. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.THROTTLE_TIMEOUT = 100; /** * The frequency in which the polyfill polls for intersection changes. * this can be updated on a per instance basis and must be set prior to * calling `observe` on the first target. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.POLL_INTERVAL = null; /** * Use a mutation observer on the root element * to detect intersection changes. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.USE_MUTATION_OBSERVER = true; /** * Sets up the polyfill in the cross-origin mode. The result is the * updater function that accepts two arguments: `boundingClientRect` and * `intersectionRect` - just as these fields would be available to the * parent via `IntersectionObserverEntry`. This function should be called * each time the iframe receives intersection information from the parent * window, e.g. via messaging. * @return {function(DOMRect|ClientRect, DOMRect|ClientRect)} */ IntersectionObserver._setupCrossOriginUpdater = function() { if (!crossOriginUpdater) { /** * @param {DOMRect|ClientRect} boundingClientRect * @param {DOMRect|ClientRect} intersectionRect */ crossOriginUpdater = function(boundingClientRect, intersectionRect) { if (!boundingClientRect || !intersectionRect) { crossOriginRect = getEmptyRect(); } else { crossOriginRect = convertFromParentRect(boundingClientRect, intersectionRect); } registry.forEach(function(observer) { observer._checkForIntersections(); }); }; } return crossOriginUpdater; }; /** * Resets the cross-origin mode. */ IntersectionObserver._resetCrossOriginUpdater = function() { crossOriginUpdater = null; crossOriginRect = null; }; /** * Starts observing a target element for intersection changes based on * the thresholds values. * @param {Element} target The DOM element to observe. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.observe = function(target) { var isTargetAlreadyObserved = this._observationTargets.some(function(item) { return item.element == target; }); if (isTargetAlreadyObserved) { return; } if (!(target && target.nodeType == 1)) { throw new Error('target must be an Element'); } this._registerInstance(); this._observationTargets.push({element: target, entry: null}); this._monitorIntersections(target.ownerDocument); this._checkForIntersections(); }; /** * Stops observing a target element for intersection changes. * @param {Element} target The DOM element to observe. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.unobserve = function(target) { this._observationTargets = this._observationTargets.filter(function(item) { return item.element != target; }); this._unmonitorIntersections(target.ownerDocument); if (this._observationTargets.length == 0) { this._unregisterInstance(); } }; /** * Stops observing all target elements for intersection changes. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.disconnect = function() { this._observationTargets = []; this._unmonitorAllIntersections(); this._unregisterInstance(); }; /** * Returns any queue entries that have not yet been reported to the * callback and clears the queue. This can be used in conjunction with the * callback to obtain the absolute most up-to-date intersection information. * @return {Array} The currently queued entries. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype.takeRecords = function() { var records = this._queuedEntries.slice(); this._queuedEntries = []; return records; }; /** * Accepts the threshold value from the user configuration object and * returns a sorted array of unique threshold values. If a value is not * between 0 and 1 and error is thrown. * @private * @param {Array|number=} opt_threshold An optional threshold value or * a list of threshold values, defaulting to [0]. * @return {Array} A sorted list of unique and valid threshold values. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._initThresholds = function(opt_threshold) { var threshold = opt_threshold || [0]; if (!Array.isArray(threshold)) threshold = [threshold]; return threshold.sort().filter(function(t, i, a) { if (typeof t != 'number' || isNaN(t) || t < 0 || t > 1) { throw new Error('threshold must be a number between 0 and 1 inclusively'); } return t !== a[i - 1]; }); }; /** * Accepts the rootMargin value from the user configuration object * and returns an array of the four margin values as an object containing * the value and unit properties. If any of the values are not properly * formatted or use a unit other than px or %, and error is thrown. * @private * @param {string=} opt_rootMargin An optional rootMargin value, * defaulting to '0px'. * @return {Array<Object>} An array of margin objects with the keys * value and unit. */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._parseRootMargin = function(opt_rootMargin) { var marginString = opt_rootMargin || '0px'; var margins = marginString.split(/\s+/).map(function(margin) { var parts = /^(-?\d*\.?\d+)(px|%)$/.exec(margin); if (!parts) { throw new Error('rootMargin must be specified in pixels or percent'); } return {value: parseFloat(parts[1]), unit: parts[2]}; }); // Handles shorthand. margins[1] = margins[1] || margins[0]; margins[2] = margins[2] || margins[0]; margins[3] = margins[3] || margins[1]; return margins; }; /** * Starts polling for intersection changes if the polling is not already * happening, and if the page's visibility state is visible. * @param {!Document} doc * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._monitorIntersections = function(doc) { var win = doc.defaultView; if (!win) { // Already destroyed. return; } if (this._monitoringDocuments.indexOf(doc) != -1) { // Already monitoring. return; } // Private state for monitoring. var callback = this._checkForIntersections; var monitoringInterval = null; var domObserver = null; // If a poll interval is set, use polling instead of listening to // resize and scroll events or DOM mutations. if (this.POLL_INTERVAL) { monitoringInterval = win.setInterval(callback, this.POLL_INTERVAL); } else { addEvent(win, 'resize', callback, true); addEvent(doc, 'scroll', callback, true); if (this.USE_MUTATION_OBSERVER && 'MutationObserver' in win) { domObserver = new win.MutationObserver(callback); domObserver.observe(doc, { attributes: true, childList: true, characterData: true, subtree: true }); } } this._monitoringDocuments.push(doc); this._monitoringUnsubscribes.push(function() { // Get the window object again. When a friendly iframe is destroyed, it // will be null. var win = doc.defaultView; if (win) { if (monitoringInterval) { win.clearInterval(monitoringInterval); } removeEvent(win, 'resize', callback, true); } removeEvent(doc, 'scroll', callback, true); if (domObserver) { domObserver.disconnect(); } }); // Also monitor the parent. var rootDoc = (this.root && (this.root.ownerDocument || this.root)) || document; if (doc != rootDoc) { var frame = getFrameElement(doc); if (frame) { this._monitorIntersections(frame.ownerDocument); } } }; /** * Stops polling for intersection changes. * @param {!Document} doc * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._unmonitorIntersections = function(doc) { var index = this._monitoringDocuments.indexOf(doc); if (index == -1) { return; } var rootDoc = (this.root && (this.root.ownerDocument || this.root)) || document; // Check if any dependent targets are still remaining. var hasDependentTargets = this._observationTargets.some(function(item) { var itemDoc = item.element.ownerDocument; // Target is in this context. if (itemDoc == doc) { return true; } // Target is nested in this context. while (itemDoc && itemDoc != rootDoc) { var frame = getFrameElement(itemDoc); itemDoc = frame && frame.ownerDocument; if (itemDoc == doc) { return true; } } return false; }); if (hasDependentTargets) { return; } // Unsubscribe. var unsubscribe = this._monitoringUnsubscribes[index]; this._monitoringDocuments.splice(index, 1); this._monitoringUnsubscribes.splice(index, 1); unsubscribe(); // Also unmonitor the parent. if (doc != rootDoc) { var frame = getFrameElement(doc); if (frame) { this._unmonitorIntersections(frame.ownerDocument); } } }; /** * Stops polling for intersection changes. * @param {!Document} doc * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._unmonitorAllIntersections = function() { var unsubscribes = this._monitoringUnsubscribes.slice(0); this._monitoringDocuments.length = 0; this._monitoringUnsubscribes.length = 0; for (var i = 0; i < unsubscribes.length; i++) { unsubscribes[i](); } }; /** * Scans each observation target for intersection changes and adds them * to the internal entries queue. If new entries are found, it * schedules the callback to be invoked. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._checkForIntersections = function() { if (!this.root && crossOriginUpdater && !crossOriginRect) { // Cross origin monitoring, but no initial data available yet. return; } var rootIsInDom = this._rootIsInDom(); var rootRect = rootIsInDom ? this._getRootRect() : getEmptyRect(); this._observationTargets.forEach(function(item) { var target = item.element; var targetRect = getBoundingClientRect(target); var rootContainsTarget = this._rootContainsTarget(target); var oldEntry = item.entry; var intersectionRect = rootIsInDom && rootContainsTarget && this._computeTargetAndRootIntersection(target, targetRect, rootRect); var rootBounds = null; if (!this._rootContainsTarget(target)) { rootBounds = getEmptyRect(); } else if (!crossOriginUpdater || this.root) { rootBounds = rootRect; } var newEntry = item.entry = new IntersectionObserverEntry({ time: now(), target: target, boundingClientRect: targetRect, rootBounds: rootBounds, intersectionRect: intersectionRect }); if (!oldEntry) { this._queuedEntries.push(newEntry); } else if (rootIsInDom && rootContainsTarget) { // If the new entry intersection ratio has crossed any of the // thresholds, add a new entry. if (this._hasCrossedThreshold(oldEntry, newEntry)) { this._queuedEntries.push(newEntry); } } else { // If the root is not in the DOM or target is not contained within // root but the previous entry for this target had an intersection, // add a new record indicating removal. if (oldEntry && oldEntry.isIntersecting) { this._queuedEntries.push(newEntry); } } }, this); if (this._queuedEntries.length) { this._callback(this.takeRecords(), this); } }; /** * Accepts a target and root rect computes the intersection between then * following the algorithm in the spec. * TODO(philipwalton): at this time clip-path is not considered. * https://w3c.github.io/IntersectionObserver/#calculate-intersection-rect-algo * @param {Element} target The target DOM element * @param {Object} targetRect The bounding rect of the target. * @param {Object} rootRect The bounding rect of the root after being * expanded by the rootMargin value. * @return {?Object} The final intersection rect object or undefined if no * intersection is found. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._computeTargetAndRootIntersection = function(target, targetRect, rootRect) { // If the element isn't displayed, an intersection can't happen. if (window.getComputedStyle(target).display == 'none') return; var intersectionRect = targetRect; var parent = getParentNode(target); var atRoot = false; while (!atRoot && parent) { var parentRect = null; var parentComputedStyle = parent.nodeType == 1 ? window.getComputedStyle(parent) : {}; // If the parent isn't displayed, an intersection can't happen. if (parentComputedStyle.display == 'none') return null; if (parent == this.root || parent.nodeType == /* DOCUMENT */ 9) { atRoot = true; if (parent == this.root || parent == document) { if (crossOriginUpdater && !this.root) { if (!crossOriginRect || crossOriginRect.width == 0 && crossOriginRect.height == 0) { // A 0-size cross-origin intersection means no-intersection. parent = null; parentRect = null; intersectionRect = null; } else { parentRect = crossOriginRect; } } else { parentRect = rootRect; } } else { // Check if there's a frame that can be navigated to. var frame = getParentNode(parent); var frameRect = frame && getBoundingClientRect(frame); var frameIntersect = frame && this._computeTargetAndRootIntersection(frame, frameRect, rootRect); if (frameRect && frameIntersect) { parent = frame; parentRect = convertFromParentRect(frameRect, frameIntersect); } else { parent = null; intersectionRect = null; } } } else { // If the element has a non-visible overflow, and it's not the <body> // or <html> element, update the intersection rect. // Note: <body> and <html> cannot be clipped to a rect that's not also // the document rect, so no need to compute a new intersection. var doc = parent.ownerDocument; if (parent != doc.body && parent != doc.documentElement && parentComputedStyle.overflow != 'visible') { parentRect = getBoundingClientRect(parent); } } // If either of the above conditionals set a new parentRect, // calculate new intersection data. if (parentRect) { intersectionRect = computeRectIntersection(parentRect, intersectionRect); } if (!intersectionRect) break; parent = parent && getParentNode(parent); } return intersectionRect; }; /** * Returns the root rect after being expanded by the rootMargin value. * @return {ClientRect} The expanded root rect. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._getRootRect = function() { var rootRect; if (this.root && !isDoc(this.root)) { rootRect = getBoundingClientRect(this.root); } else { // Use <html>/<body> instead of window since scroll bars affect size. var doc = isDoc(this.root) ? this.root : document; var html = doc.documentElement; var body = doc.body; rootRect = { top: 0, left: 0, right: html.clientWidth || body.clientWidth, width: html.clientWidth || body.clientWidth, bottom: html.clientHeight || body.clientHeight, height: html.clientHeight || body.clientHeight }; } return this._expandRectByRootMargin(rootRect); }; /** * Accepts a rect and expands it by the rootMargin value. * @param {DOMRect|ClientRect} rect The rect object to expand. * @return {ClientRect} The expanded rect. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._expandRectByRootMargin = function(rect) { var margins = this._rootMarginValues.map(function(margin, i) { return margin.unit == 'px' ? margin.value : margin.value * (i % 2 ? rect.width : rect.height) / 100; }); var newRect = { top: rect.top - margins[0], right: rect.right + margins[1], bottom: rect.bottom + margins[2], left: rect.left - margins[3] }; newRect.width = newRect.right - newRect.left; newRect.height = newRect.bottom - newRect.top; return newRect; }; /** * Accepts an old and new entry and returns true if at least one of the * threshold values has been crossed. * @param {?IntersectionObserverEntry} oldEntry The previous entry for a * particular target element or null if no previous entry exists. * @param {IntersectionObserverEntry} newEntry The current entry for a * particular target element. * @return {boolean} Returns true if a any threshold has been crossed. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._hasCrossedThreshold = function(oldEntry, newEntry) { // To make comparing easier, an entry that has a ratio of 0 // but does not actually intersect is given a value of -1 var oldRatio = oldEntry && oldEntry.isIntersecting ? oldEntry.intersectionRatio || 0 : -1; var newRatio = newEntry.isIntersecting ? newEntry.intersectionRatio || 0 : -1; // Ignore unchanged ratios if (oldRatio === newRatio) return; for (var i = 0; i < this.thresholds.length; i++) { var threshold = this.thresholds[i]; // Return true if an entry matches a threshold or if the new ratio // and the old ratio are on the opposite sides of a threshold. if (threshold == oldRatio || threshold == newRatio || threshold < oldRatio !== threshold < newRatio) { return true; } } }; /** * Returns whether or not the root element is an element and is in the DOM. * @return {boolean} True if the root element is an element and is in the DOM. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._rootIsInDom = function() { return !this.root || containsDeep(document, this.root); }; /** * Returns whether or not the target element is a child of root. * @param {Element} target The target element to check. * @return {boolean} True if the target element is a child of root. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._rootContainsTarget = function(target) { var rootDoc = (this.root && (this.root.ownerDocument || this.root)) || document; return ( containsDeep(rootDoc, target) && (!this.root || rootDoc == target.ownerDocument) ); }; /** * Adds the instance to the global IntersectionObserver registry if it isn't * already present. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._registerInstance = function() { if (registry.indexOf(this) < 0) { registry.push(this); } }; /** * Removes the instance from the global IntersectionObserver registry. * @private */ IntersectionObserver.prototype._unregisterInstance = function() { var index = registry.indexOf(this); if (index != -1) registry.splice(index, 1); }; /** * Returns the result of the performance.now() method or null in browsers * that don't support the API. * @return {number} The elapsed time since the page was requested. */ function now() { return window.performance && performance.now && performance.now(); } /** * Throttles a function and delays its execution, so it's only called at most * once within a given time period. * @param {Function} fn The function to throttle. * @param {number} timeout The amount of time that must pass before the * function can be called again. * @return {Function} The throttled function. */ function throttle(fn, timeout) { var timer = null; return function () { if (!timer) { timer = setTimeout(function() { fn(); timer = null; }, timeout); } }; } /** * Adds an event handler to a DOM node ensuring cross-browser compatibility. * @param {Node} node The DOM node to add the event handler to. * @param {string} event The event name. * @param {Function} fn The event handler to add. * @param {boolean} opt_useCapture Optionally adds the even to the capture * phase. Note: this only works in modern browsers. */ function addEvent(node, event, fn, opt_useCapture) { if (typeof node.addEventListener == 'function') { node.addEventListener(event, fn, opt_useCapture || false); } else if (typeof node.attachEvent == 'function') { node.attachEvent('on' + event, fn); } } /** * Removes a previously added event handler from a DOM node. * @param {Node} node The DOM node to remove the event handler from. * @param {string} event The event name. * @param {Function} fn The event handler to remove. * @param {boolean} opt_useCapture If the event handler was added with this * flag set to true, it should be set to true here in order to remove it. */ function removeEvent(node, event, fn, opt_useCapture) { if (typeof node.removeEventListener == 'function') { node.removeEventListener(event, fn, opt_useCapture || false); } else if (typeof node.detatchEvent == 'function') { node.detatchEvent('on' + event, fn); } } /** * Returns the intersection between two rect objects. * @param {Object} rect1 The first rect. * @param {Object} rect2 The second rect. * @return {?Object|?ClientRect} The intersection rect or undefined if no * intersection is found. */ function computeRectIntersection(rect1, rect2) { var top = Math.max(rect1.top, rect2.top); var bottom = Math.min(rect1.bottom, rect2.bottom); var left = Math.max(rect1.left, rect2.left); var right = Math.min(rect1.right, rect2.right); var width = right - left; var height = bottom - top; return (width >= 0 && height >= 0) && { top: top, bottom: bottom, left: left, right: right, width: width, height: height } || null; } /** * Shims the native getBoundingClientRect for compatibility with older IE. * @param {Element} el The element whose bounding rect to get. * @return {DOMRect|ClientRect} The (possibly shimmed) rect of the element. */ function getBoundingClientRect(el) { var rect; try { rect = el.getBoundingClientRect(); } catch (err) { // Ignore Windows 7 IE11 "Unspecified error" // https://github.com/w3c/IntersectionObserver/pull/205 } if (!rect) return getEmptyRect(); // Older IE if (!(rect.width && rect.height)) { rect = { top: rect.top, right: rect.right, bottom: rect.bottom, left: rect.left, width: rect.right - rect.left, height: rect.bottom - rect.top }; } return rect; } /** * Returns an empty rect object. An empty rect is returned when an element * is not in the DOM. * @return {ClientRect} The empty rect. */ function getEmptyRect() { return { top: 0, bottom: 0, left: 0, right: 0, width: 0, height: 0 }; } /** * Ensure that the result has all of the necessary fields of the DOMRect. * Specifically this ensures that `x` and `y` fields are set. * * @param {?DOMRect|?ClientRect} rect * @return {?DOMRect} */ function ensureDOMRect(rect) { // A `DOMRect` object has `x` and `y` fields. if (!rect || 'x' in rect) { return rect; } // A IE's `ClientRect` type does not have `x` and `y`. The same is the case // for internally calculated Rect objects. 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Year","image":"https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://raw.githubusercontent.com/entropyhub/entropyhub.github.io/master/assets/images/reexternalwotypage/202012_semicolon_lexico_WOTY_english_748x482.jpg","author":"Lexico.com Team","genre":"Explore The English Language","wordcount":"2842","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Lexico.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/lexico-logo.svg"}},"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://lexico.com","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://lexico.com/explore"},"datePublished":"2020-12-14","dateCreated":"2020-12-14","dateModified":"2021-10-15","description":"While 2020 has already been an eventful year, Lexico is proud to announce an exciting one all its own: its first ever Word of the Year and the Spanish translation.","articleBody":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor a version of this article in Spanish, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/es/grammar/la-palabra-del-ano\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘La Palabra del Año 2020 de Lexico’.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile 2020 has already been an eventful year, Lexico is proud to announce an exciting one all its own: its first ever Word of the Year, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/quarantine\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, and its Spanish translation, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/cuarentena\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ecuarentena\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. Defined as ‘a state, period, or place of isolation in which people who may have been exposed to infectious disease are placed’, the word \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e has stood at the centre of the profound ways Covid-19 changed society and language in 2020.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecord search volume for ‘quarantine’ in March 2020\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe largest spike in searches for \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e across Lexico’s dictionaries occurred on 18 March, coinciding with many of the first government lockdown orders and guidelines from leading organisations like the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) in response to the coronavirus. That day, just one week after the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/pandemic\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003epandemic\u003c/a\u003e, lookups for \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e surged 15,180% compared to the beginning of 2020. User interest in \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e maintained significant volume through the year, averaging a 323% increase relative to data available for 2019.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn origin close to home\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAs used in medicine, \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e is first recorded in English in the mid-17th century, a borrowing of the Italian \u003cem\u003equarantina\u003c/em\u003e, ‘forty days’, based on \u003cem\u003equaranta\u003c/em\u003e, ‘forty’, ultimately derived from the Latin \u003cem\u003equadrāgintā\u003c/em\u003e, \u0026nbsp;meaning the same. During the bubonic plague in the 1400s, \u003cem\u003equarantina\u003c/em\u003e referred to the period of time ships suspected of carrying disease were barred from port. The etymology is resonant, not only given its origins in a past pandemic, but also as some of the earliest outbreaks of Covid-19 struck cruise ships.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Spanish word for \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ecuarentena\u003c/em\u003e, comes from the same Latin root as the Italian \u003cem\u003equarantina\u003c/em\u003e. Searches for \u003cem\u003ecuarentena\u003c/em\u003e jumped 1,800% in Lexico’s Spanish dictionary on 28 April.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA whole new ‘quarantine’ vocabulary\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNot only does the word \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e capture the public health measures and lived experience of Covid-19, it also illustrates the astonishing transformation of the lexicon because of the pandemic. \u003cem\u003eQuarantine\u003c/em\u003e is a prominent example of how an explosion of scientific terms suddenly became essential to daily life, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/asymptomatic\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003easymptomatic\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/contact_tracing\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003econtact tracing\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/herd_immunity\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eherd immunity\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003cem\u003eR number\u003c/em\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/social_distancing\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003esocial distancing\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/superspreader\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003esuperspreader\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, not to mention \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/covid-19\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eCovid-19\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e itself, plus \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/coronavirus\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003ecoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSARS-CoV-2\u003c/em\u003e.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEarly in the pandemic, use of \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e largely adhered to its technical sense, specifically referring to the fourteen-day period of isolation urged, where not mandated, for people exposed to the novel coronavirus. In many places, this isolation was self-imposed, leading to a rapid rise of the terms \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-isolation\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eself-isolation\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-quarantine\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eself-quarantine\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, meaning ‘remaining apart from others for a period of time in order to avoid the transmission of an infectious disease’.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAlso seeing a rapid rise was the expanded use of \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e as a verb that takes no object: ‘remain apart from others for a period of time in order to prevent the transmission of an infectious disease to which one may have been exposed’. For instance: \u003cem\u003ethe teacher had to quarantine after coming into contact with a parent who tested positive for Covid-19\u003c/em\u003e. This verb sense of \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e along with other updates from Oxford Languages are being added to Lexico in 2021.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuarantine\u003c/em\u003e broadened in popular parlance as a general term for the restrictions of life, work, and school in a pandemic, regardless of one’s exposure to the virus. This extended sense can be further observed in the widespread use of quarantine as a collective frame of reference (e.g., \u003cem\u003edating during quarantine\u003c/em\u003e) as well as a modifier (e.g., \u003cem\u003enew quarantine music and fashion trends\u003c/em\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuarantine\u003c/em\u003e joins a host of other official and unofficial terms for containment practices. Examples include \u003cem\u003ehunker down\u003c/em\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/isolation\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eisolation\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/lockdown\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003elockdown\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-isolation\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eself-isolation\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/shelter_in_place\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eshelter-in-place\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/stay-at-home\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003estay-at-home\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/definition/shutdown\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eshutdown\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. Other designations, as documented by Oxford Languages, emerged in varieties of English in Malaysia (\u003cem\u003emovement control order\u003c/em\u003e, or \u003cem\u003eMCO\u003c/em\u003e), the Philippines (\u003cem\u003eenhance community quarantine\u003c/em\u003e, or \u003cem\u003eECQ\u003c/em\u003e), and Singapore (\u003cem\u003ecircuit breaker\u003c/em\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome welcome ‘quarantine’ relief\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne thing people certainly found to do amid the confinements of \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e was invent new words. The \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e inspired an outpouring of playful formations, revealing the creativity, humour, and resilience people displayed in the face of enormous hardship. \u003cem\u003eQuarantine\u003c/em\u003e inspired such punning blends or phrases as \u003cem\u003equarantini\u003c/em\u003e (cocktails made in \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e); \u003cem\u003equaranteams\u003c/em\u003e (pods or bubbles kept small and exclusive to contain the spread of contagious disease); \u003cem\u003equaranteens\u003c/em\u003e (the next generation of teenagers conceived during the pandemic); \u003cem\u003equarantimes\u003c/em\u003e (quarantine times); and \u003cem\u003equarantine and chill\u003c/em\u003e (the Netflix and chilling of quarantine life).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe word \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e itself was informally shortened to \u003cem\u003equar\u003c/em\u003e and, distinctive to Australian English, \u003cem\u003equaz\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003equazza\u003c/em\u003e. All of this innovation is mirrored in similar wordplay based on \u003cem\u003ecoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCovid-19:\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003erona\u003c/em\u003e (slang for \u003cem\u003ecoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e); \u003cem\u003ecoronacut\u003c/em\u003e (quarantine haircut), \u003cem\u003ecoronasomnia\u003c/em\u003e (pandemic-related insomnia), \u003cem\u003ecovidiot\u003c/em\u003e (rebuking someone as an idiot for disobeying Covid-19 safety guidelines), and the \u003cem\u003eCovid-10\u003c/em\u003e or the \u003cem\u003eCovid-15\u003c/em\u003e (weight gained in quarantine).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSpeaking of \u003cem\u003eCovid-15\u003c/em\u003e, other languages generated quarantine wordplay of their own, such as \u003cem\u003eCoronaspeck\u003c/em\u003e, the German equivalent to \u003cem\u003eCovid-15\u003c/em\u003e meaning ‘coronavirus fat’. Spreading among French speakers was \u003cem\u003equatorzaine\u003c/em\u003e, referring to the recommended fourteen-day quarantine period and combining the French for ‘quarantine’ (\u003cem\u003equarantaine\u003c/em\u003e) and ‘fourteen’ (\u003cem\u003equatorze\u003c/em\u003e). Taking off anew in Italian was an older term \u003cem\u003euntore\u003c/em\u003e, ‘plague spreader’.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor its part, Spanish supplied \u003cem\u003ecuarempena\u003c/em\u003e (also \u003cem\u003ecuarenpena\u003c/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003ecuarenta\u003c/em\u003e combined with \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/pena\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003epena\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e, or ‘quarantine sadness’ or ‘quarantine depression’); \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/gran\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eGran\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/confinamiento\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eConfinamiento\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/a\u003e (the ‘Big Isolation’, alluding to mass lockdowns); \u003cem\u003elos coronabonos\u003c/em\u003e (‘corona \u003ca href=\"https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/bono\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ebonos’\u003c/a\u003e or ‘coronavirus bonds’, debt securities issued by the EU); \u003cem\u003eaplausazo\u003c/em\u003e (the practice of applauding healthcare workers at a designated time from home); and \u003cem\u003ecuarentenar\u003c/em\u003e, ‘to quarantine’, which became established as a valid alternative for the usual verb construction \u003cem\u003eponer en cuarentena\u003c/em\u003e.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage change can never be ‘quarantined’\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFinally, the new and newly significant vocabulary of Covid-19 required updates to the dictionary at a scale and pace seldom seen in lexicography. In conjunction with Dictionary.com, Lexico’s dictionaries are drawn from the work of Oxford Languages, who have issued hundreds of new and updated entries and senses this year as a result of the tremendous lexical change spurred by the immense social upheaval of 2020.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNew entries from the coronavirus update include \u003cem\u003ecase fatality rate\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003econtact tracer\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCPAP\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ecytokine storm\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003efrontliner\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ephysical distancing\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eR number\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003espike protein\u003c/em\u003e. New senses of existing words include before times, front line, remotely, and shield. In addition to their extensive work on etymologies, audio files, and sensitivity reviews, Oxford Language’s lexicographers also revised thousands of entries—not least of which involved the entry to \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e itself. These, and many more, updates are coming to Lexico in 2021. Preview key definitions at the end of the article.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt the start of 2020, it would have been hard to imagine a technical word like \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e, so distant from most people’s experiences and concerns, would become such an ordinary and necessary part of everyday life and language. Though vaccines mean hope is on the imminent horizon, as 2020 comes to an end, millions around the world are still waiting to fully come out of \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e. This situation only underscores the central place of \u003cem\u003equarantine\u003c/em\u003e in an unprecedented year—and Lexico’s choice of the word as its inaugural, 2020 Word of the Year.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eScores of other words have also defined this extraordinary year. Learn more at\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2020/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDictionary.com’s 2020 Word of the Year, pandemic\u003c/a\u003e,\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2020/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOxford Languages 2020 Words of an Unprecedented Year\u003c/a\u003e\u003cem\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelected updates coming to Lexico\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ebefore times\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePLURAL NOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe time before a particular significant event, especially one with disastrous consequences:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'in the before times, my beauty regime was obsessive in approach'\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'the band will rebroadcast full-length concerts from the before times'\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ecase fatality rate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe proportion of cases of a disease or condition that are fatal within a specified period of time:\u0026nbsp;'at this stage the case fatality rate is very high'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003econtact tracer\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA person responsible for identifying individuals who have been in the proximity of a person diagnosed with an infectious disease, in order to isolate, test, or treat them: 'if you get a call from a contact tracer, you must isolate for 14 days, even if you don't have symptoms'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCPAP\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eshort for continuous positive airway pressure\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA method of respiratory therapy in which air is pumped into the lungs through the nose or nose and mouth during spontaneous breathing, used in the treatment of sleep apnoea and other respiratory disorders:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'I had to sleep with a CPAP machine at night'\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'doctors say they have since embraced CPAP and other treatments'\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ecytokine storm\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAn overactive immune response occurring in various diseases, characterized by the excessive production of cytokines and resulting in intense localized or generalized inflammation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003efrontliner\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA worker who deals directly with customers, clients, or other users of an organization's services, especially one who fulfils a role regarded as vital for the community:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'without the medical frontliners no one will prevent the disease from spreading and everyone will be jeopardized'\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'a good frontliner has excellent customer-handling skills'\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'the shortage of protective equipment for frontliners’\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ephysical distancing\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe practice of limiting physical closeness and contact with other people, especially in order to avoid transmitting or catching an infectious disease: 'remember to practise physical distancing to reduce the spread of Covid-19'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003equarantine\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[mass noun] A state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that may have been exposed to infectious disease are placed: 'horses entering the country must stay in quarantine longer'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[count noun]: 'a six-week quarantine'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[as modifier]: 'quarantine laws'\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEditors’ note\u003c/strong\u003e: this article has focused the definition of quarantine on its application on ‘people’, excluding ‘animals’, for clarity and relevance.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eVERB\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[no object] Remain apart from others for a period of time in order to prevent the transmission of an infectious disease to which one may have been exposed: 'we are seeing exponential growth in new cases because people failed to quarantine after travelling abroad'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eR number\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA figure expressing the rate at which an infectious disease spreads, taken as the average number of cases arising by transmission from a single infected individual:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'there are lots of things we can do to reduce R, including reducing our social contacts by continuing social distancing'\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'he warned that an increase in the R number would see a rapid escalation of cases'\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eremotely\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eADVERB\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAway from a usual workplace or location, making use of communications technology:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'most office workers are now equipped to work remotely'\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e'the meeting was the first to be held remotely using conferencing software'\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eshield\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eVERB\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBritish [no object]\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eRemain apart from others for a period of time in order to avoid catching an infectious disease to which one may be particularly vulnerable: 'they are shielding to protect their own health'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003espike protein\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNOUN\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e(In some human and animal viruses) a glycoprotein projecting from the outer membrane that binds to a receptor on the host cell and facilitates entry of the virus into the host cell.\u003c/p\u003e"} //]]> </script><div id="content"><div class="lex-container"><div class="banbox mobile_banner"><div class="container content-ban"><aside class="banner adUnit"><div id="lexi_serp_dkt_atf_728x90_10"></div><div id="lexi_serp_mweb_atf_320x50_1"></div></aside></div></div><div class="main-content"><div class="container layout"><div class="lex-content"><div class="lex-filling"><div><div class="box-img" data-ratiox="3.5" data-ratioy="1"><img class="headImage" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412im_/https://raw.githubusercontent.com/entropyhub/entropyhub.github.io/master/assets/images/reexternalwotypage/202012_semicolon_lexico_WOTY_english_748x482.jpg"/></div><div class="breadcrumbs layout"><p><a href="/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/" data-behaviour="ga-event-breadcrumb" data-value="Homepage anchor">Home</a><span class="chevron"></span> <a data-behaviour="ga-event" data-value="secondary breadcrumb" href="/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/explore">Explore The English Language</a> <span class="chevron"></span> <a data-behaviour="ga-event" data-value="secondary breadcrumb" href="/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/explore/word-of-the-year">Lexico’s 2020 Word of the Year</a></p></div><div class="non-lexical-socials"><div class="socials"><ul><li><a class="ico-fb" 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/es/grammar/la-palabra-del-ano" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>‘La Palabra del Año 2020 de Lexico’.</em></a><br><br>While 2020 has already been an eventful year, Lexico is proud to announce an exciting one all its own: its first ever Word of the Year, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/quarantine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>quarantine</em></a>, and its Spanish translation, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/cuarentena" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>cuarentena</em></a>. Defined as ‘a state, period, or place of isolation in which people who may have been exposed to infectious disease are placed’, the word <em>quarantine</em> has stood at the centre of the profound ways Covid-19 changed society and language in 2020.<br><br></p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Record search volume for ‘quarantine’ in March 2020</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">The largest spike in searches for <em>quarantine</em> across Lexico’s dictionaries occurred on 18 March, coinciding with many of the first government lockdown orders and guidelines from leading organisations like the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) in response to the coronavirus. That day, just one week after the World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/pandemic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pandemic</a>, lookups for <em>quarantine</em> surged 15,180% compared to the beginning of 2020. User interest in <em>quarantine</em> maintained significant volume through the year, averaging a 323% increase relative to data available for 2019.<br><br></p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>An origin close to home</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">As used in medicine, <em>quarantine</em> is first recorded in English in the mid-17th century, a borrowing of the Italian <em>quarantina</em>, ‘forty days’, based on <em>quaranta</em>, ‘forty’, ultimately derived from the Latin <em>quadrāgintā</em>,  meaning the same. During the bubonic plague in the 1400s, <em>quarantina</em> referred to the period of time ships suspected of carrying disease were barred from port. The etymology is resonant, not only given its origins in a past pandemic, but also as some of the earliest outbreaks of Covid-19 struck cruise ships.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">The Spanish word for <em>quarantine</em>, <em>cuarentena</em>, comes from the same Latin root as the Italian <em>quarantina</em>. Searches for <em>cuarentena</em> jumped 1,800% in Lexico’s Spanish dictionary on 28 April.<br><br></p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>A whole new ‘quarantine’ vocabulary</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">Not only does the word <em>quarantine</em> capture the public health measures and lived experience of Covid-19, it also illustrates the astonishing transformation of the lexicon because of the pandemic. <em>Quarantine</em> is a prominent example of how an explosion of scientific terms suddenly became essential to daily life, such as <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/asymptomatic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>asymptomatic</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/contact_tracing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>contact tracing</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/herd_immunity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>herd immunity</em></a>, <em>R number</em>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/social_distancing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>social distancing</em></a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/superspreader" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>superspreader</em></a>, not to mention <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/covid-19"><em>Covid-19</em></a> itself, plus <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/coronavirus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>coronavirus</em></a> and <em>SARS-CoV-2</em>. </p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Early in the pandemic, use of <em>quarantine</em> largely adhered to its technical sense, specifically referring to the fourteen-day period of isolation urged, where not mandated, for people exposed to the novel coronavirus. In many places, this isolation was self-imposed, leading to a rapid rise of the terms <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-isolation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>self-isolation</em></a> and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-quarantine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>self-quarantine</em></a>, meaning ‘remaining apart from others for a period of time in order to avoid the transmission of an infectious disease’. </p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Also seeing a rapid rise was the expanded use of <em>quarantine</em> as a verb that takes no object: ‘remain apart from others for a period of time in order to prevent the transmission of an infectious disease to which one may have been exposed’. For instance: <em>the teacher had to quarantine after coming into contact with a parent who tested positive for Covid-19</em>. This verb sense of <em>quarantine</em> along with other updates from Oxford Languages are being added to Lexico in 2021.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Quarantine</em> broadened in popular parlance as a general term for the restrictions of life, work, and school in a pandemic, regardless of one’s exposure to the virus. This extended sense can be further observed in the widespread use of quarantine as a collective frame of reference (e.g., <em>dating during quarantine</em>) as well as a modifier (e.g., <em>new quarantine music and fashion trends</em>).</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Quarantine</em> joins a host of other official and unofficial terms for containment practices. Examples include <em>hunker down</em>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/isolation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>isolation</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/lockdown" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>lockdown</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-isolation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>self-isolation</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/shelter_in_place" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>shelter-in-place</em></a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/stay-at-home" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>stay-at-home</em></a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/definition/shutdown" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>shutdown</em></a>. Other designations, as documented by Oxford Languages, emerged in varieties of English in Malaysia (<em>movement control order</em>, or <em>MCO</em>), the Philippines (<em>enhance community quarantine</em>, or <em>ECQ</em>), and Singapore (<em>circuit breaker</em>).<br><br></p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Some welcome ‘quarantine’ relief</strong></h2><p dir="ltr">One thing people certainly found to do amid the confinements of <em>quarantine</em> was invent new words. The <em>quarantine</em> inspired an outpouring of playful formations, revealing the creativity, humour, and resilience people displayed in the face of enormous hardship. <em>Quarantine</em> inspired such punning blends or phrases as <em>quarantini</em> (cocktails made in <em>quarantine</em>); <em>quaranteams</em> (pods or bubbles kept small and exclusive to contain the spread of contagious disease); <em>quaranteens</em> (the next generation of teenagers conceived during the pandemic); <em>quarantimes</em> (quarantine times); and <em>quarantine and chill</em> (the Netflix and chilling of quarantine life).</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">The word <em>quarantine</em> itself was informally shortened to <em>quar</em> and, distinctive to Australian English, <em>quaz</em> and <em>quazza</em>. All of this innovation is mirrored in similar wordplay based on <em>coronavirus</em> and <em>Covid-19:</em> <em>rona</em> (slang for <em>coronavirus</em>); <em>coronacut</em> (quarantine haircut), <em>coronasomnia</em> (pandemic-related insomnia), <em>covidiot</em> (rebuking someone as an idiot for disobeying Covid-19 safety guidelines), and the <em>Covid-10</em> or the <em>Covid-15</em> (weight gained in quarantine).</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">Speaking of <em>Covid-15</em>, other languages generated quarantine wordplay of their own, such as <em>Coronaspeck</em>, the German equivalent to <em>Covid-15</em> meaning ‘coronavirus fat’. Spreading among French speakers was <em>quatorzaine</em>, referring to the recommended fourteen-day quarantine period and combining the French for ‘quarantine’ (<em>quarantaine</em>) and ‘fourteen’ (<em>quatorze</em>). Taking off anew in Italian was an older term <em>untore</em>, ‘plague spreader’.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">For its part, Spanish supplied <em>cuarempena</em> (also <em>cuarenpena</em>; <em>cuarenta</em> combined with <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/pena" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>pena</em></a>, or ‘quarantine sadness’ or ‘quarantine depression’); <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/gran" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Gran</em></a><em> </em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/confinamiento" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Confinamiento</em></a> (the ‘Big Isolation’, alluding to mass lockdowns); <em>los coronabonos</em> (‘corona <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.lexico.com/es/definicion/bono" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bonos’</a> or ‘coronavirus bonds’, debt securities issued by the EU); <em>aplausazo</em> (the practice of applauding healthcare workers at a designated time from home); and <em>cuarentenar</em>, ‘to quarantine’, which became established as a valid alternative for the usual verb construction <em>poner en cuarentena</em>. </p><h2 dir="ltr"><br><strong>Language change can never be ‘quarantined’ </strong></h2><p dir="ltr">Finally, the new and newly significant vocabulary of Covid-19 required updates to the dictionary at a scale and pace seldom seen in lexicography. In conjunction with Dictionary.com, Lexico’s dictionaries are drawn from the work of Oxford Languages, who have issued hundreds of new and updated entries and senses this year as a result of the tremendous lexical change spurred by the immense social upheaval of 2020.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">New entries from the coronavirus update include <em>case fatality rate</em>, <em>contact tracer</em>, <em>CPAP</em>, <em>cytokine storm</em>, <em>frontliner</em>, <em>physical distancing</em>, <em>R number</em>, and <em>spike protein</em>. New senses of existing words include before times, front line, remotely, and shield. In addition to their extensive work on etymologies, audio files, and sensitivity reviews, Oxford Language’s lexicographers also revised thousands of entries—not least of which involved the entry to <em>quarantine</em> itself. These, and many more, updates are coming to Lexico in 2021. Preview key definitions at the end of the article.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">At the start of 2020, it would have been hard to imagine a technical word like <em>quarantine</em>, so distant from most people’s experiences and concerns, would become such an ordinary and necessary part of everyday life and language. Though vaccines mean hope is on the imminent horizon, as 2020 comes to an end, millions around the world are still waiting to fully come out of <em>quarantine</em>. This situation only underscores the central place of <em>quarantine</em> in an unprecedented year—and Lexico’s choice of the word as its inaugural, 2020 Word of the Year.</p><p dir="ltr"> </p><p dir="ltr"><em>Scores of other words have also defined this extraordinary year. Learn more at </em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dictionary.com’s 2020 Word of the Year, pandemic</a>,<em> and </em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oxford Languages 2020 Words of an Unprecedented Year</a><em>.</em></p><p><br></p><h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Selected updates coming to Lexico</strong></h2><p dir="ltr"><strong>before times</strong></p><p dir="ltr">PLURAL NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">The time before a particular significant event, especially one with disastrous consequences:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">'in the before times, my beauty regime was obsessive in approach'</li><li dir="ltr">'the band will rebroadcast full-length concerts from the before times'</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>case fatality rate</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">The proportion of cases of a disease or condition that are fatal within a specified period of time: 'at this stage the case fatality rate is very high'</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>contact tracer</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">A person responsible for identifying individuals who have been in the proximity of a person diagnosed with an infectious disease, in order to isolate, test, or treat them: 'if you get a call from a contact tracer, you must isolate for 14 days, even if you don't have symptoms'</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>CPAP </strong></p><p dir="ltr">short for continuous positive airway pressure</p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">A method of respiratory therapy in which air is pumped into the lungs through the nose or nose and mouth during spontaneous breathing, used in the treatment of sleep apnoea and other respiratory disorders:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">'I had to sleep with a CPAP machine at night'</li><li dir="ltr">'doctors say they have since embraced CPAP and other treatments'</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>cytokine storm</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">An overactive immune response occurring in various diseases, characterized by the excessive production of cytokines and resulting in intense localized or generalized inflammation.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>frontliner</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">A worker who deals directly with customers, clients, or other users of an organization's services, especially one who fulfils a role regarded as vital for the community:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">'without the medical frontliners no one will prevent the disease from spreading and everyone will be jeopardized'</li><li dir="ltr">'a good frontliner has excellent customer-handling skills'</li><li dir="ltr">'the shortage of protective equipment for frontliners’</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>physical distancing</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">The practice of limiting physical closeness and contact with other people, especially in order to avoid transmitting or catching an infectious disease: 'remember to practise physical distancing to reduce the spread of Covid-19'</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>quarantine</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">[mass noun] A state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that may have been exposed to infectious disease are placed: 'horses entering the country must stay in quarantine longer'</p><p dir="ltr">[count noun]: 'a six-week quarantine'</p><p dir="ltr">[as modifier]: 'quarantine laws'"</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Editors’ note</strong>: this article has focused the definition of quarantine on its application on ‘people’, excluding ‘animals’, for clarity and relevance. </p><p dir="ltr">VERB</p><p dir="ltr">[no object] Remain apart from others for a period of time in order to prevent the transmission of an infectious disease to which one may have been exposed: 'we are seeing exponential growth in new cases because people failed to quarantine after travelling abroad'</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>R number</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">A figure expressing the rate at which an infectious disease spreads, taken as the average number of cases arising by transmission from a single infected individual:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">'there are lots of things we can do to reduce R, including reducing our social contacts by continuing social distancing'</li><li dir="ltr">'he warned that an increase in the R number would see a rapid escalation of cases'</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>remotely</strong></p><p dir="ltr">ADVERB</p><p dir="ltr">Away from a usual workplace or location, making use of communications technology:</p><ul><li dir="ltr">'most office workers are now equipped to work remotely'</li><li dir="ltr">'the meeting was the first to be held remotely using conferencing software'</li></ul><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>shield</strong></p><p dir="ltr">VERB </p><p dir="ltr">British [no object]</p><p dir="ltr">Remain apart from others for a period of time in order to avoid catching an infectious disease to which one may be particularly vulnerable: 'they are shielding to protect their own health'</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>spike protein</strong></p><p dir="ltr">NOUN</p><p dir="ltr">(In some human and animal viruses) a glycoprotein projecting from the outer membrane that binds to a receptor on the host cell and facilitates entry of the virus into the host cell.</p></p><div class="non-lexical-socials socials-mobile"><div class="socials"><ul><li><a class="ico-fb" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211115165412/https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=292327308384887&display=page&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lexico.com%2Fexplore%2Fword-of-the-year&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lexico.com%2Fexplore%2Fword-of-the-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Share on Facebook" onclick="javascript:ga('send', 'event', 'share_this_entry', 'facebook', 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